Multisensory Math Literacy Instruction

This workshop begins by examining the Challenges of Math Literacy with a focus on the role of linguistic skills in the math process, particularly its impact on those who also struggle with language. This is then followed by a multisensory training approach based on the work of Jerry Mortensen. The workshop introduces basic math concepts using base ten and other manipulatives. Content includes an overview of numeration, place value, and basic operations. References are made to whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and pre-algebra. Measurement strategies associated with telling time, counting money, and identifying angles, perimeter, and area are shared.

Representation of math concepts is a process that starts by having participants build (manipulatives), then draw (bridging step), and finally translate into notation (symbols).

This interactive module is meant to enhance understanding of math principles by encouraging visualization. It features themes which are repeated over and over again and applied to different types of math problems. Some of these themes include:

• You only need to count to nine; get one more it makes the next largest kind,

• Before we count, we need the same kind,

• We need to know what “one” is,

• Numbers have two parts to their names, the “how many” part and “what kind” part,

• Constructing rectangles makes it easier to count,

• Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are just fast ways to count,